Religious Thought, Theology and Philosophy of Religion Commons^™

Cultivating The Practice Of Missional Hospitality For Small Groups At West Houston Church Of Christ, Kevin Stewart

Doctor of Ministry Theses and Dissertations

This doctor of ministry thesis presents the results of a project in which I led a team to develop a plan to cultivate the practice of missional hospitality for small groups at West Houston Church of Christ. I used missional theology as a framework to give shape to the practice of hospitality. The project team met for nine weeks in the fall of 2014. The team practiced lectio divina focused on Luke 10, participated in theological reflection on missional hospitality, and fulfilled assignments to practice missional hospitality. These activities helped form the group spiritually and informed the development of a …

Evaluating An Oral Draft Of Luke 8:4-15 In Uduk, Jeremy N. Harrison

Doctor of Ministry Theses and Dissertations

This doctor of ministry thesis presents the findings of a project in which I led a group of immigrants from South Sudan through the process of generating and evaluating an oral draft of Luke 8:4-15 in Uduk. The aim of this project was to provide a substantive field test of an oral translation methodology conducted among immigrants living in the United States who speak a language that lacks a translation of the entire Bible. The project involved facilitating basic translation training and conducting an oral drafting process with a team of three Uduk speakers. This project also involved evaluating the …

Facilitating Holistic Spiritual Formation At The Northside Church Of Christ In Laredo, Texas, Kirk R. Cowell

Doctor of Ministry Theses and Dissertations

This thesis describes a project to facilitate holistic spiritual formation at the Northside Church of Christ in Laredo, Texas. A program consisting of seven weekly sessions of intergenerational religious experiences was enacted at the church in hopes of catalyzing growth in the cognitive, relational, affective, and behavioral domains. These sessions were constructed on a foundation consisting of the experiences of the non-class Churches of Christ—a group of congregations that has historically rejected the Bible class model—and informed by the intergenerational formation literature. Evaluation of this project showed relational and affective growth greater than what the congregation had experienced with the …

Developing An Intentional Mentoring Model For Disciple Formation At The Mayfair Church Of Christ, Jason Bybee

Doctor of Ministry Theses and Dissertations

This doctor of ministry thesis presents the results of a project to lead a team in the development of an intentional mentoring model for disciple formation at the Mayfair Church of Christ. This intervention involved the team members in a series of sessions during September and October 2013. Project sessions were designed to provide participants an intentional mentoring experience through exposure to four core practices: exploration of the biblical text, appreciative inquiry exercises, communal sharing, and prayer. Sessions were informed by (1) an understanding of discipleship as following behind Jesus and walking alongside our fellow sojourners, (2) the nature of …

Preaching That Leads To Transformation At The North Street Church Of Christ In Nacogdoches, Texas, Curtis Barbarick

Doctor of Ministry Theses and Dissertations

This doctor of ministry thesis presents the results of a project to develop a process whereby the sermon would be enhanced for listeners at the North Street Church of Christ in Nacogdoches, Texas, so that preaching would be more effective in leading to transformation. The theology and methodology of John Wesley were utilized as a lens by which to think about and implement this practice.

The intervention involved a six-week session with a focus group that represented a cross-section of the congregation. Participants in this group were asked to engage in a lectio divina exercise on a particular text daily, …

Elder Selection: Engaging The Monterey Church Of Christ In A Collaborative Elder Selection Process, Benjamin D. Pickett

Doctor of Ministry Theses and Dissertations

This doctor of ministry thesis presents the outcomes of a project intended to foster greater collaboration at the Monterey Church of Christ in its selection of elders. The intervention involved the engagement of the Monterey Church in a process that involved multiple steps. These steps involved engagement with teachers in the context of a teacher training seminar, with Bible classes in a series of Bible lessons, and with elders, elder nominees, and their spouses in order to discern the perceived degree to which Monterey members participate in the elder selection process. The Bible lessons presented an alternative model for theological …

La Sagesse Et L’Adversite – Wisdom And Adversity, Yann Opsitch

Language and Literature

What can we learn from the biblical text concerning the relationship between wisdom and adversity? How can we apply this to our lives in the 21^st century?

How do the life and teachings of Jesus connect with the biblical concept of wisdom? How does the story of Jesus help us reconstruct our broken lives and identities? Where is the wisdom in biblical hope?

These are some of the questions raised by this book written in French and addressing specifically a French audience.

What I Want To Do Before I Die, Landon Brady Saunders

Landon Saunders Documents

Saunders outlines a basic plan for Heartbeat and for himself after he steps down from Heartbeat.

Heartbeat Horizon: Saunders's Presentation To Executive Board Of Directors Sept. 2012, Landon Brady Saunders

Landon Saunders Documents

Speech/presentation by Saunders to the Board of Directors. Outlines how Heartbeat changed Saunders's view of God, Jesus, the Bible, and the church; the importance of vision and the compelling drive of Heartbeat's vision; and a proposal for Heartbeat for the next three years of 2012-2015 and the role Saunders feels he should play. Future goals include a book Saunders wants to author, a Heartbeat Institute, and a plan for laying up content and marketing it to a wide audience.

Typed presentation also contains notes and revisions handwritten by Saunders.

Extending Story Listening As A Practice Of Communal Formation At The Lake Orion Church Of Christ, Eric R. Magnusson

Doctor of Ministry Theses and Dissertations

This doctor of ministry thesis presents the results of a project that explores the potential for extending a practice of story listening as a way of forming community across social circles at the Lake Orion Church of Christ in Lake Orion, Michigan. The intervention involved guiding a group of six participant-researchers, each of whom had previous experience in story listening, through six sessions in the fall of 2011. Each phase of the project was informed by a participatory social Trinitarian theology. The first three sessions were designed to empower participant-researcher pairs to facilitate story listening groups of four to five …

The Initiation Of Growth-Focused Relationships Involving Healthy Accountability At The Carbondale Church Of Christ, Stephen Shaffer

Doctor of Ministry Theses and Dissertations

After several years of transition, the Carbondale Church of Christ is in the early stages of becoming a spiritual growth-focused community. However, the emerging growth community appears to reflect the prevailing cultural assumptions that growth is a personal, private, and an individual task. To shape this emergent growth culture, this project initiated a group of congregational opinion leaders, organized in pairs, into the practice of growth-focused relationships involving healthy accountability. The initiation involved a theological orientation followed by a four-week healthy accountability praxis.

The theological framework of the project involved three main aspects. First, the project used the body image …

2012 - 106th Annual Summit, "Intimacy", Abilene Christian University, Abilene Christian University

Lectureship and Summit Programs

No abstract provided.

"Out Of The Box" Heartbeat Retreat Lecture Ii, Landon Brady Saunders

Landon Saunders Documents

Speech by Landon Saunders for the "Out of the Box" Heartbeat retreat held on July 22-24, 2011. Title indicates that this is lecture #2. Speech centers around the need to avoid church "insiderism" and have relationships with those outside church walls. Handwritten notes begin on the back of the last page and continue on subsequent pages.

Implementing A Discernment Phase For Those Nominated In The Shepherd Selection Process At The Cinco Ranch Church Of Christ, Aaron Walling

Doctor of Ministry Theses and Dissertations

This doctor of ministry thesis presents the results of a project that implemented a discernment phase for those nominated in the shepherd selection process at the Cinco Ranch Church of Christ. Occurring in the fall of 2010, this project involved nominees in a series of six one-hour, thirty-minute sessions designed to establish the theological foundations for shepherding and to explore its practical expression at Cinco Ranch. For the theological component, this project primarily utilized Ephesians 4:11-16, and for the practical side, it incorporated group interactions with those serving as shepherds along with the review of guiding leadership documents. The project‟s …

How I Would Like To Spend The Last Years Of My Life..., Landon Brady Saunders

Landon Saunders Documents

A list of projects Landon Saunders wants to work on and what he wants to happen with Heartbeat when he can no longer work on it.

Crafting A Congregational Narrative For The College Church Of Christ In Fresno, California, Jason W. Locke

Doctor of Ministry Theses and Dissertations

This thesis describes a ministry project in the College Church of Christ in Fresno, California. In this project I led the congregation through a narrative crafting process in order to clarify the church’s identity and increase its capacity for mission. In recent decades, the College Church moved away from some of its founding characteristics yet failed to clarify a new sense of identity. It subsequently had difficulty acting with a unified sense of purpose and instead moved increasingly toward fragmentation.

Data for crafting the new narrative came from three weeks of group interviews. My research team conducted these interviews in …

Discerning A Vocational Theology Of Marriage For The Smyrna Church Of Christ, Daniel F. Camp

Doctor of Ministry Theses and Dissertations

The goal of this project was to discern a vocational theology of marriage for the Smyrna Church of Christ in Smyrna, Tennessee. Through a group discernment process, the participants studied Genesis 1-3 and 2 Corinthians 5 as a basis for understanding God’s design for marriage at creation, the effects of sin on the vocational aspect of the marriage relationship, and the call of Christ for husbands and wives to participate in the resurrection life through the ministry of reconciliation. At the end of the discernment process, the participants articulated a theology statement for the church that examined our current context …

Heartbeat Priorities (February 8, 2011), Unknown

Landon Saunders Documents

More details on Heartbeat's possible future involving an Institute and and chaired position at a university. Universities being considered are Abilene Christian University, David Lipscomb University, and Pepperdine University. Recommends Heartbeat put together a list of benefits to the university and to Heartbeat for such a partnership. Mentions Mike Cope's work with small groups in Abilene, TX.

"What Should Lbs Do With His 'Last Energies'?", Unknown

Landon Saunders Documents

Planning document for the future of Heartbeat. Proposes that Heartbeat create an alliance with one or more universities to continue its work. Alliance could include a "Heartbeat Chair" funded with an endowment to ensure its future. Saunders would teach a class for the first semester on the history and philosophy of Heartbeat and compile the information into a book for future endeavors.

A second scenario proposes a more active role for Saunders, who does not want to retire. Saunders would teach future leaders in small seminars and have an assistant to help him recast his past work in today's language …

The Cultural Setting For Churches Today, Landon Brady Saunders

Landon Saunders Documents

Essay on the role of churches in view of the realities of the world.

Heartbeat's Future: Plan A And Plan B, Unknown

Landon Saunders Documents

Explores further the idea of Heartbeat's future resting with an Institute and an endowed chair at a university. Contains a narrative of key events in Heartbeat's history; discusses points in favor of an Institute and endowed chair, and recommends that Saunders teach a semester and retreat to Temenos for renewal while writing his book. Acknowledges critical nature of Saunders's face-to-face involvement in small groups and mentoring.

Also proposes a Plan B with Saunders producing a weekly video in story and application format and using Mike Cope to present to young audiences.

Date of document is estimated to be after February …

2011 - 105th Annual Summit, "Enough: Isaiah 1:11-17", Abilene Christian University, Abilene Christian University

Lectureship and Summit Programs

No abstract provided.

Heartbeat Restructuring For The Future, Unknown

Landon Saunders Documents

Planning the new future of Heartbeat. Lists changes in the marketplace, in society, and in ways information is delivered. Acknowledges the age of key Heartbeat people. Proposes creating two additional entities under Heartbeat: a named Institute for for focusing on those outside religious organizations, and a named Institute of Research and Innovation for conducting research on culture and global challenges.

Suggested names for the first Institute would be Don Williams and Jim Fisher--the Williams Fisher Institute Suggested names for the research arm are David and Jon Halbert--the Halbert institute for Research and Innovation. Also names suggested people for other key …

Communally Discerning A Covenant Of Hospitality For The Care Of Children At Westview Boys' Home, Ron Bruner

Doctor of Ministry Theses and Dissertations

This project addressed the lack of a covenant defining the practice of hospitality towards children for team members of Westview Boys’ Home. The purpose of the project was to facilitate the creation of such a covenant. The Westview ministry team already claimed hospitality as a strength; the hope was that reframing the ministry around this strength would improve the quality of care for children and the quality of life for the community. Invited into a communal discernment process (the methodology), the ministry team invested weeks in the examination of biblical texts, theological tradition, personal and communal narratives, cultural trends, psychological …

2010 - 104th Annual Summit, "Aliens & Light: Finding God In The Darkness", Abilene Christian University, Abilene Christian University

Lectureship and Summit Programs

No abstract provided.

Totally Devoted: Developing A Holistic Spiritual Formation Course For Western Christian College, Stanley N. Helton

Doctor of Ministry Theses and Dissertations

This thesis reports research results from a learning community composed of faculty, support staff, ministry leaders, and students who collaborated in a professor’s development of a new course proposal in Christian spiritual formation at Western Christian College in Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada. The professor used qualitative research methods in the analysis and evaluation of the data produced by the group. The outcome of the project was ethnographic data that informed the creation of the course proposal that included new course application, course syllabus with course schedule, planned activities, bibliography, initial classroom assignments, and initial assessment tools.

Developing A Model For An Incarnational Ministry At The Webb Chapel Church Of Christ, L. Bert Alexander

Doctor of Ministry Theses and Dissertations

This doctor of ministry thesis presents the results of a project to promote the development of an incarnational ministry at the Webb Chapel Church of Christ. This intervention employed a team of Webb Chapel opinion leaders representative of various subgroups of the congregation. In the fall of 2008, this group met for eight sessions to discuss the self-emptying practices of Jesus and the need for his followers to emulate those self-emptying practices in their individual lives. Through interaction in the eight sessions, the group developed a model by which self-emptying practices could be implemented at Webb Chapel. Evaluation of the …

2009 - 92nd Annual Summit, "On The Mountain With God: Exodus Expedition, Abilene Christian University

Lectureship and Summit Programs

No abstract provided.

Debating For God: Alexander Campbell's Challenge To Skepticism In Antebellum America, Richard J. Cherok

ACU Brown Library Monograph Series

Historians have recognized Alexander Campbell as the leading figure in an important American Christian reform movement, an advocate of Christian unity, and an educator, but his role as an apologist has been forgotten. This book focuses on Campbell's career as a defender of the faith, arguing that he was "the most significant Christian apologist of America's antebellum period." He contended with some of the most notable skeptics of his era, most famous among them Robert Owen, founder of New Harmony. Martin E. Marty says regarding Campbell, "No clergyman of his time exerted himself more vigorously in combat of the infidels …

2008 - 91st Lectureship Summit, "The Righteousness Of God", Abilene Christian University, Abilene Christian University

Lectureship and Summit Programs

No abstract provided.